> So I have broke free of the (admittedly nice) tea rut finally and
> begun to crave some greens outside of BLC now that it is Spring. I
> just posted a bit on Upton's superior grade Sencha on teasphere, so I
> figured I toss it up here as well for anyone interested:
>
> OK, so finally back on the horse again and out of the rut I’ve been
> in. The Sencha Yamato is Upton’s superior grade Sencha, which they
> claim to have a “brighter flavor and smoother aftertaste.” So how did
> it stack up? I’d have to say somewhere near the middle, but to be fair
> the top of the middle range.
>
> I wasn’t overly impressed with the leaf quality as there were a lot of
> fannings and broken bits. It was however a very verdant green and did
> posses a bright scent. The flavor fell a bit shy of the dry smell
> though. It brewed to a pond-water green cup with little in the way of
> nose. A bit roasty, vegetal, a bit astringent, barely a hint of fishy/
> kelpy flavor, a touch thick and smooth, and as promised a smooth
> aftertaste. It was less what I would consider “bright” though as they
> state in their description. Nothing stands out as being in any way bad
> or wrong, just nothing really stands out as being amazing.
>
> I do admit that Japanese greens are a special area of interest for me,
> so I do tend to be a bit tougher to please. It is only because I have
> tasted so many truly spectacular greens that I don’t relegate Sencha
> automatically to some lower, pedestrian, tea as it can sometimes be
> thought of. Will I enjoy the rest of it? Sure. Will I be clamoring for
> more? Probably not.
>
> - Dominichttp://teasphere.wordpress.com